What’s the Difference Between CPR and AED?

What’s the Difference Between CPR and AED?

If you are planning to take a First Aid course, chances are that you have already come across the terms “CPR” and “AED.” One of the most commonly asked questions is: What is the difference between CPR and AED training? In this article, this question will be answered in detail.

The Difference Between CPR and AED

CPR and AED training are different steps in the process of saving an individual who has undergone a cardiac arrest. Between CPR and AED, most people are more familiar with the former. CPR is short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which is an emergency technique that involves repetitive chest compressions in an attempt to keep the oxygenated blood pumping throughout the body when the heart stops functioning. In other words, CPR is performed to keep vital organs alive by supplying them with the oxygen that they need.

AED refers to an automated external defibrillator, which is a machine that is able to restart the heart when it stops beating. It is safe to say that AED is equally as, if not more, important than CPR when it comes to the survival of a victim suffering from a cardiac arrest.

For this reason, training classes should be named “AED CPR Training,” considering both of their significance. In sum, CPR is a technique that keeps the blood pumping while AED is a machine that can get the heart to start again.

How to Help a Victim Using CPR and AED

When an individual goes into cardiac arrest, their heart has completely stopped functioning. Their vital organs, including the brain, will start to shut down in a matter of minutes if there is no oxygenated blood to sustain them. Thus, it is imperative that anyone who is qualified to give assistance should not hesitate to step in and perform CPR on the victim.

The first step of helping a victim of cardiac arrest is to alert medical responders to let them know that there is an emergency. Shortly after the call, CPR should be performed immediately. Depending on the scenario, there may or may not be other people who are able to administer CPR compressions except for you.

If there is no one else to take turns with you, you have to keep on with the chest compressions until emergency medical personnel arrives at the scene. In the case that there are people nearby, you should enlist their help for tasks such as calling the emergency operator as well as searching for a nearby AED.

AEDs are available in most public places, and after finding one, you should use it on the victim as soon as possible. As AEDs are automated, the machine will walk you through the process of using it on the victim.

The machine will also assess the victim’s heart rate and whether the victim needs a shock to restart the heart. In the case that there is not a single AED around the area, there is no other option but to continue with CPR compressions until first responders arrive with the machine in tow.